(What a goofy title.)So, all that reformatting I did back in the spring, which at least killed time when I had nothing to do at work, was FOR NAUGHT! Naught, I tell you! Okay, I caught some typos and wrote an afterword, but I basically need to redo the whole thing. It would probably be easier to write it all again from scratch, but I think if I copy and paste page by page, I can get it right. I'm changing the font and size, too. The big problem is the page size, which has to be changed, and the fact that I originally printed it myself using standard size paper in landscape, with two columns. I'm resizing it now for a standard paperback, with 5 x 8 pages. I'm using the template from Cafe Press, which seems to offer me the best printing options. I had wanted hardcover and an ISBN, but I'm giving those up. Seriously. It's an oral history of my family. It's not like I'm looking to have a best-seller here.
I started working on it last night as soon as I had posted my entry, and I ended up staying up past midnight working on it; then I was wide awake and couldn't fall asleep. And somehow, woke up this morning just after six. I've been sleeping so well this summer, that a night of four hours of sleep just wiped me out for the day. I napped off and on this afternoon.
My big problem today is allergy eyes, but coincidentally, I had an appointment with the optometrist this morning, so he gave me some sample drops and now I think I'll try to get into the habit of eyedrops at least twice a day. He's a very high-tech eye guy, and one of his new machines took computerized photographs that looked into the eyes. He says he can see the damage that dryness has done to my corneas, although he doesn't think it affects my vision, but I guess I should be better about that. He also saw the very early stages of a cataract in my left eye, but says I shouldn't even begin to notice its effects for six or seven years. Even so, a cataract just isn't a big deal anymore. The new lenses they put in now can actually compensate for your existing vision problems, so, theoretically, if I have both eyes done at some point, I may not need reading glasses anymore. Nothing wrong with that.
My bed has gotten very creaky, which is going to be quite a project to take care of. I have, more or less, one of those sleep-number beds (although mine is a bit older, and I don't have the digital remotes with the numbers on them, just a wired up/down remote), so I can't just slide the mattress off; it's connected by hoses. I don't think it's the mattress that creaks but the foundation, which is assembled from many pieces. I guess I'll call their service number and have someone walk me through the steps for looking for the noise.
We're still having lots of thunderstorms, but after seeing Al Roker's weathermap this morning, it looks like everybody in the country is, except the northwest. Just another thing that makes me jumpy now that didn't use to. I loved thunderstorms when I was a kid, maybe because then, I wouldn't think "What if a branch breaks off and hits the house? What if the power goes out? What if, what if?"
I only have four more chapters to reformat, but I think I'll save that for another day. For some reason, there's one big picture that Word just doesn't like, and when I try to adjust its placement, it freezes up and starts repaginating the whole document, which would be fine if it didn't keep going up into the thousands of pages when I know there are only about 120 so far. I suppose I could take it out, or maybe just crop it back.
I'm expecting a call from R in a minute or so, so I guess I'll sign off. Good weekend, all.
